Geodatabase administrator in Oracle

The geodatabase administrator account in Oracle is the account that owns the schema where the geodatabase repository resides. The geodatabase administrator for the sde geodatabase must be named sde. This account owns and manages the following:

  • The system tables, views, triggers, and procedures for the sde geodatabase
  • The ST_Geometry type and functions
  • The default geodatabase version in the sde geodatabase

In addition to the main, sde geodatabase, there may be geodatabases in the schemas of other users. The administrator for those geodatabases is the schema owner. That user owns and manages the following:

  • The geodatabase system tables, triggers, and procedures in the user's geodatabase
  • The default geodatabase version in the user's geodatabase
Note:

You cannot create or upgrade user-schema geodatabases, but you can still use existing user-schema geodatabases at this release.

Keep in mind that the geodatabase administrator user is not the same as the database administrator. Although conditions in your organization may necessitate that the geodatabase administrator maintain database administrator-level permissions at all times, this is not required for day-to-day operation of a geodatabase. See Privileges for geodatabases in Oracle for more information.

Geodatabase administrator's schema

Esri recommends that the sde user's schema only be used to manage and store the sde geodatabase repository. Create separate users to create datasets, such as feature classes and tables. Following the practice of storing only system tables in the sde user's storage space simplifies the management of the geodatabase and makes it easier for you to delete the geodatabase from the database if you ever decide to do so.

If the database contains user-schema geodatabases, the owners of the user-schema geodatabase can only own data in that geodatabase; the user-schema geodatabase owner cannot own data in the sde geodatabase or any other user's schema geodatabase. Users who do not own a user-schema geodatabase can only own data in the sde geodatabase. See The relationship between the sde and user-schema geodatabases in Oracle for more information.